Flash Builder 4 and Flex 4 Essentials

Introduction
Welcome
Using the exercise files
Understanding the prerequisites

1. Getting Started
Introducing the history of Adobe Flex
Installing Flash Builder on Windows
Installing Flash Builder on Mac OS X
Installing Flash Builder as an Eclipse plug-in
Creating the Hello World application
Understanding the anatomy of web applications
Creating a release build

2. Using Flash Builder 4
Choosing a workspace
Importing and exporting projects as FXP files
Setting Flash Builder preferences
Using Eclipse views and editors
Using Flash Builder perspectives

3. Using Flex Programming Languages
Understanding MXML
Setting properties and styles with MXML
Translating MXML to ActionScript 3
Using ActionScript in MXML files
Declaring and using variables
Understanding ActionScript data types
Getting language and API help

4. Using Flash Builder Debugging Tools
Using the debug version of Flash Player
Starting and stopping debugging sessions
Tracing application execution
Using breakpoints
Using the Variables view
Watching ActionScript expressions
Using watchpoints to detect state changes

5. Using Visual Controls
Understanding MX and Spark components
Declaring visual controls with MXML
Declaring visual controls with ActionScript
Using text display controls
Displaying rich text
Using text input controls
Using button controls
Loading images at runtime
Embedding images
Presenting Flash content
Passing data with binding expressions

6. Using the Flex Event Architecture
Handling dispatched events
Using inline event handlers in MXML
Using custom event handler functions
Understanding event objects
Using event listener functions

7. Laying Out an Application
Setting the application's layout property
Using Spark Group containers
Using the Spark Panel container
Using the Application and Panel control bars
Using the BorderContainer
Using constraint-based layout properties
Declaring view states
Changing view states at runtime

8. Using Custom Components
Defining MXML components
Instantiating components in MXML
Instantiating components in ActionScript
Declaring and using custom properties
Declaring and using custom methods
Declaring and setting component states
Dispatching events from custom components
Creating custom event classes
Dispatching and handling custom events

9. Managing Application Navigation
Using the ViewStack container
Managing navigation with ActionScript
Using the ButtonBar component
Using the TabNavigator and Accordion containers

10. Using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
Understanding inline CSS declarations
Using embedded style sheets
Using type, style name, and id selectors
Using descendant and global selectors
Using external style sheets
Setting and getting styles with ActionScript
Loading styles at runtime

11. Skinning Spark Components with MXML and FXG
Drawing vector graphics with MXML
Exporting FXG files from Illustrator and Fireworks
Using FXG files in Flex applications
Creating a custom application skin
Using custom component skins
Assigning skins to multiple components
Loading skins at runtime

12. Embedding data with <fx:Model>
Managing data with ArrayList and ArrayCollection
Creating value object classes
Using value objects in MXML
Using value objects in ActionScript
Wrapping value objects in data collections

13. Displaying Dynamic Data
Using the List and DropDownList controls
Using the labelField property
Using the labelFunction property
Creating custom item renderers
Managing List layout
Using the DataGrid control
Using labelFunction with a DataGrid column
Using advanced DataGrid cell rendering
Working with List control events and properties
Displaying data items with DataGroup
Adding scrollbars to groups

14. Creating Data Entry Form Components
Building a custom data entry form component
Validating data entry
Packaging data with a value object class
Sharing data using custom event classes

15. Integrating with Application Servers
Installing Apache, PHP, and MySQL on Windows
Installing Apache, PHP, and MySQL on Mac OS X
Importing a database into MySQL
Adding server properties to a Flex project
Retrieving data with RPC components
Handling the RPC result event
Handling the RPC fault event
Using the CallResponder class
Creating a PHP data connection to a MySQL table
Retrieving data with a PHP data connection
Generating a data entry form
Sending data to the server

16. Conclusion
Goodbye